


Falling Into Place

by Urby



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Speculation, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 00:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16566485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Urby/pseuds/Urby
Summary: A young songstress tries to fit in.





	Falling Into Place

**Author's Note:**

> As of posting tiny Azura isn't available but I have been thinking about her ever since I saw her
> 
> you know me, gotta write that weird heroes fic
> 
> edit: BABY AZURA WAS DREAMING AFTER ALL, OH NO, MY HEART IS BROKEN. i still like this idea tho.

There was a flash of light. Then, Azura stood in a plain blue room before two figures: a young masked swordsman, wearing a cape; and someone wearing a hooded robe. The swordsman seemed tired and sad beyond his years, but strong despite it. Azura couldn't tell whether the cloaked person was a man or a woman, a friend or a foe, because their cloak was long and heavy and so close to being Vallite garb but not quite. Golden appliques wove their way around the fabric rather than blue ones.

There was silence. Then, the hooded figure went down on one knee, so that they were closer to eye level with her. "Hello," they said, their voice gentle and full of kindness. "Your name is Azura, right?"

Azura prepared herself for the worst and nodded.

"My name is Kiran," said the hooded figure. "And this is Marth."

"The Tempest is currently raging through your world, but we are fighting it," Marth said. "Please come with us and help us push back the darkness."

Darkness. Azura didn't like it, but she was young and small and she already had darkness to fight, and now this? She did not move. She heard both Kiran and Marth draw long breaths like sighs.

Kiran reached for the edges of their hood and slowly pulled it down their head. It was...no easier to tell whether they were a man or a woman, but their features were wan and honest.

"Would you like me to help you find Mikoto and Corrin?" they asked.

They knew about Mikoto and at least one Corrin, but Azura didn't know anything about them. But she didn't know where Mikoto and the Corrins were either, so she approached warily.

"Come on, we'll go to the castle and find your family and then you can rest and eat if you like. And you'll see that your family is bigger than you think!"

Azura was instantly alert and cautious again. What did Kiran mean by that? So many questions, and no source she knew she could trust. She did not take Kiran's hand, but they walked together behind Marth, who led the way silently.

Azura supposed this was nothing new. Being brought to a castle she didn't know, surrounded by people who knew of her and were probably only pretending to be nice to her at best. It was times like this that she thought of her mother and missed her more than anything.

* * *

True to their word, Kiran brought Azura to a castle where Mikoto was waiting.

"Thank the Dragons you're not hurt," Mikoto said, embracing Azura. Azura returned the embrace quickly. "So many things have happened, but we're all together again."

"The Corrins are here, too?" Azura asked.

"Yes, both of them would love to know you're safe. Let's find them," Mikoto said, rising. Azura said nothing more and followed her. The two of them walked alone, she noted with a bit of relief - Marth and Kiran had not come with them.

The two of them did find the Corrins within a short while, but not just the two of them - there were more than a few Corrins, actually. Some of them wore armor, rather than the dream-like Vallite garb, one of them looked like she was about to go swimming, and one seemed perfectly content to be in some sort of white and red garb (with shoes, what was he thinking?)

The friends she knew strode over to her as soon as they saw her.

"Azura, you're here," Corrin said, beaming warmly. She swept Azura up into a hug.

"You'll be safe here. We're all here to protect you," Corrin said, dropping down to his knee. That gesture made Azura feel a lot more comfortable than when Kiran did it. "There are so many worlds and so many of us."

"Thank you. I was fine though," Azura said, because it was the truth, even though she was still very lost and had very little idea what was going on.

"Well, you don't have to worry anymore. You won't have to fight. You can stay here with the other heroes."

"Fight?" Azura asked.

Mikoto sat beside them. The other Corrins, the ones Azura didn't know, gathered around nearby. "This world is full of brave and strong heroes that protect those that cannot protect themselves," Mikoto said gently.

"Because it's full of people who hurt those that can't protect themselves," Azura said. It wasn't a question.

Corrin and Corrin both frowned.

"You needn't worry about that," Mikoto said. "Everyone here is very kind, and I am sure there are quite a few people who would like to be your friend."

"Okay," Azura said, hoping to end the line of conversation there. Mikoto and the Corrins were always trying so hard to lift her spirits, and today was a day she felt herself growing tired of it, even though she knew that was ungrateful of her.

"Will you come with me, Azura? I was thinking of walking around. There is a lovely garden here," Mikoto said. "Some of your favorite flowers are growing there."

"I will," Azura said.

"Do you want us to join you, Azura?" Corrin asked.

"It's okay. You don't need to come."

The two Corrins exchanged looks, and then looked to Mikoto. Mikoto waved, and they seemed to take this as a dismissal, because they stood. The other Corrins behind them looked like they wanted to join in as well, but they all respected their mother's wishes.

"Thank you, dears," Mikoto said. "This way, Azura."

* * *

The garden was resplendent - far larger and healthier than any in Nohr. Azura could lose herself in the shrubs and trees, if she tried hard enough. Rather than indulge that childish whim, she walked beside Mikoto and enjoyed the flowers from the path.

"Isn't this garden nice?" Mikoto said, smiling at all the life around her. "It would be a lovely place to practice your singing."

"Do a lot of people use the garden?" Azura asked.

"A few of the heroes do! It would be a good way for you to meet people."

Azura decided that she would find some other place to practice.

"I hear some of them now, in fact," Mikoto said, taking a different path. "You will want to meet these heroes, I believe!"

Azura didn't know what to do. She didn't especially want to meet anyone else today, but she didn't want to disappoint Mikoto either.

The two of them moved through the garden. The first thing Azura heard was water, as if from a fountain, and the next thing she heard was a most beautiful song, one sang by more than one voice, all in harmony. She was not often jealous, but that sort of music made her wish she had more talent.

"Hello!" Mikoto called out. The music stopped in favor of several greetings. Then the path opened up to a little pool, and Azura's heart skipped a beat.

Three beautiful women were standing on the surface of the pool, their robes still spinning from the dancing they had just stopped doing. Their hair was so long and so blue, just like her own, and one of them looked just like her, just stretched out and grown up -- no, all three of them were --

"Oh," the one in white said, the one that was most like her. It was the same _oh_ as an _oh no_ , as if she had just seen a tragedy.

Mikoto touched the back of Azura's head delicately, lending her support. "Do you want to sing with them?" she asked.

Azura's throat felt dry. She didn't know if it was because she wanted to cry or laugh, but she knew for sure that the mere thought of showing her meager efforts at performing in front of anyone, especially these women, made her want to evaporate on the spot.

"We'd love for you to join us," said the woman with the celebratory dress, placing the sandals she was holding on the edge of the pool.

"I'm no good, though," Azura said.

"You're still learning. We all have a long way to go," the white one said.

"We're helping each other get better," said the last one, nodding behind her veil. "We'd appreciate it if you helped, too."

The other two joined with soft a "yes!" and nods of their own.

"I don't want to get in your way," Azura said.

The silence was thick with spirits falling.

"Perhaps some other time then, my dears," Mikoto said. "What would you like to do, Azura?" she asked gently.

"I don't know," Azura said into her tucked chin.

"Let me show you the trees. There are some lovely ones in bloom right now."

The two of them left the fountain and the women that Azura knew she could become, but was not sure if she would ever live up to.

* * *

"So our world is an exception," Azura said, her eyes on her feet. She could see both Corrins nod beside her. Azura studied her toes for a moment longer, then flopped back on the bed.

"Maybe I'm dreaming after all," she said to the ceiling.

"Why would you say you're dreaming?" Corrin asked, her voice gently playful.

"Because everyone is nice and I'm small for no reason," Azura said.

"Well, I don't think that's a good reason to believe it's a dream," Corrin said seriously. Azura felt him move beside her, but she could not tell how. "Because lots of people want to be nice to you!"

Azura allowed herself a rare moment of immaturity and said, "Bwaaah."

"If it were a dream, would you be able to feel...this?"

Two pairs of hands tickled her sides, and she started kicking out, flailing for cover. "Bwaaaah!!"

Their laughter calmed her, and they stopped tickling her after about a minute. The three of them lay together on the bed, looking up at nothing in particular.

"I wonder if there are two young Corrins, somewhere out there," Azura said. "Corrins that are my age." Maybe they would understand her.

"We'll protect them too," Corrin said.

Of course they would. Azura rolled over, and her two friends wrapped her up in a hug.

* * *

Days were slow but simple at Askr. Mikoto spent a lot of time with Azura when she was not helping other heroes fighting whatever enemy had shown up. Azura did not quite care what the other kingdoms were: kingdoms like Askr and Embla and Múspell felt like far away names, even if she was living in one of them. Still, the other heroes treated her politely, though only few ventured to be warm with her. Others kept their distance, which suited her fine. Kindness was not something she could stand for long without getting nervous.

There were occasional expeditions for new heroes, ones where "contracts" were "broken", and some new faces came to the castle. It was on one such expedition that Sharena came back to the castle early, alone, and evidently quite bothered by something.

"Those from the Worlds of Birthright and Conquest, please head to the main hall for an informative meeting!" she announced with as much grace and cheer as she could. "Um, except for you, Garon. You can stay, I think..."

There was quite a large group that gathered, and Sharena took a moment to count them all before addressing them:

"We've found a new set of heroes that come from your world, but their circumstances are...very different," she began. "They've agreed to come help us. Some of them may be your enemies, or treat you as such. Please be understanding of any...misunderstandings that come as a result! I'm sure that we can all get along if we're all welcoming!"

As if her speech was a cue, the grand doors opened, and Kiran's main party came back. Behind them were a small group of royals wearing black...

Wait, black as in Nohr, but their clothes were worn and looked like they had seen better days. The people themselves seemed wan and tired, especially...

"Mother?" Azura's voice was barely above a squeak. She ran towards the figure, a woman whose gaze was far-off, like she was working out a thousand plans and knowing none of them were likely to turn out well. It was a look that Azura recognized.

It was only when she had gotten closer that Azura realized who else was with Arete. There was another older version of herself, with a similar far-off look her mother wore and an outfit too Nohrian to let her feel happiness. There was Camilla as well, though she was much harder than Azura remembered, carrying an axe far larger than her head over her shoulder. Her face was decorated with scars, so it was difficult to call her beautiful - handsome, maybe - and her single visible eye shone with a cool, dangerous light.

Were it not for the little mewing noise that Azura heard when Arete came to a stop, she would have missed the two extra pairs of legs that huddled underneath Arete's dress.

Azura's eyes flickered to her older self. Her older self glanced at her mother, and they must have decided something amongst themselves in that glance, because Arete focused her attention on Azura again.

"Forgive me," Arete said, as if everything that had gone wrong in both of their worlds was her responsibility. "You are so young, I hardly recognized you, Azura."

"I'm not your Azura," Azura said. "And you're not my mother." She took a deep breath that shook in her chest. "But I missed you."

"Then I am glad we came," Arete said. She glanced at the gathered heroes, but only briefly - she needed only a few seconds to come to a definitive decision, after all. "There is much about this world we do not know," she said. "But we are in luck, because there is no one I can think of that I would trust to tell us about it than you."

Azura's heart pounded with pride she did not feel like she deserved.

Arete regarded her with a soft, hesitant look. Then she jerked where she was and shifted on her feet. "Calm down, you two," she murmured. "Come out. It looks like we can rest here."

Azura was not sure what she expected, but what snuck out from under Arete's dress made Azura's breath catch. They were slightly more dragon than human, and perhaps slightly more lizard than dragon, but she knew them instantly as very young and wild Corrins. They were either her age or younger, and they looked... _unhappy_ , trying not to be afraid.

"I have to talk with some of the other adults," Arete told the two Corrins. They growled pitifully in response and caught her dress in their claws. "Don't despair. Cami and Azura will be with you, and I think you might be able to make a new friend. Isn't that right?"

"No one will get hurt under my watch," Camilla said, her voice a tempered purr. It made Azura think of a coiled panther. "Your mama will be back soon, darlings."

Arete's daughter knelt, gathering the two half-dragons into her lap. "We'll all stay here, Mother. I'm sure many people have questions."

"Thank you, both of you," Arete said. Then, considering Azura, she corrected herself: "the three of you." And then she strode ahead, meeting up with her sister from another world and the rest of the gathered Fated heroes.

Azura felt a smile grow on her face as she considered what Arete had just said. Then she turned towards her older self and the younger selves of her friends.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you, but will you be friends with these little ones?" her older self asked. "They don't mean anyone any harm and could use a playmate their age."

"I'd be happy to," Azura said, trying to sound grown-up and responsible and not so excited. She didn't really know why she was excited - she'd just met these Corrins - but her toes bounced on the floor as if trying to get her whole body to dance.

Her older self smiled. Two pairs of draconic eyes fell on her, and she got two toothy grins as well.

* * *

Their story came to Azura in pieces.

Azura had always escaped to her dreams to stay happy, because the world was full of people who meant her ill. These two Corrins, and her mother, and her older self, and the mysterious scarred Camilla - theirs was a world that darkness had visited much too early. Mikoto had died trying to contain the mad dragon, and Arete was barely able to keep her sister's children with her as they fled to Nohr. As Azura had anticipated, Nohr was not kind to them, especially when the two Corrins started showing their draconic heritage. A desperate king tried to press them into battle, but it was only with Camilla's help that they were able to escape again.

Azura used her dreams as a retreat, but this family desperately needed to wake up from a terrible nightmare.

"I want to protect them," she told Arete one day while they were watching the two little Corrins sleep. They had tired themselves out playing hide-and-dragonseek with some of the other Manaketes, and it was a rare moment of quiet with them around.

"They are not your responsibility," Arete cautioned. Azura considered this and realized she had not said something like "They have Camilla," or something to the effect that they did not need more help.

"Everyone here tries to protect me from fighting," Azura said. "Like I'm helpless. But I'm strong -- maybe. I know some things. And what I don't know I can learn."

Arete tried to keep her face even, but she smiled with her eyes.

"I know I'm not the strongest or the best dancer and my song isn't that good yet but...I have this," Azura said, holding up a thin blue book.

Arete's expression immediately hardened when she saw it. "Ah," she said. "That is full of darkness, little one."

"Darkness is strong. I can use it to fight," Azura said. "I want you to teach me how to use it."

"Oh, little Azura," Arete said. Her sigh was so deep that the Corrins stirred, though they did not wake. Her eyes fell on the pendant around Azura's neck and stayed there for a long time. Azura remained still.

"I will teach you to fight," Arete said. "But I will teach you more than just how to use this darkness. And I want you to study with Azura - my daughter. And the others as well. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Azura said quickly.

Arete gazed into her eyes until she was convinced. Then she closed her eyes and covered her face in her hands.

"It is so very, very good we are here," Arete whispered. Azura did not know if those words were meant for her to hear, but she had heard them, and she did not know what to do about it. It made her want to cry, but she did not want to cry in front of her mother or the two little Corrins.

"Oh, Azura," Arete sighed. "My daughter. We must be strong together, every one of us."

"Of course, Mother."

**Author's Note:**

> you know intsys would include another camilla in a nightmare banner


End file.
